His Highness the Aga Khan has a long-standing relationship with Canada, dating back to the arrival of the first Ismailis in the 1950s and 1960s as part of a professional pool that immigrated to Canada from the United Kingdom and western European countries.

This steady growth continued until the early 1970s when political changes in many Asian and African countries led to the arrival of large numbers of Ismailis in Canada. Today, approximately 120,000 Ismailis of diverse origins are settled throughout Canada.

In Canada, institutions established by the Aga Khan Foundation Canada, an agency of the worldwide, non-denominational Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) include the Global Centre for Pluralism (in partnership with the Government of Canada); the Ismaili Centre in Burnaby; the Aga Khan Museum, the Ismaili Centre, and Park in Toronto; the Aga Khan Garden, Alberta; and a forthcoming park in Burnaby.

While these institutions may differ in their exact mission and scope, one common thread over has been the lasting and shared commitment of Canada and the Imamat (Ismaili congregation) to combating poverty and instability in the poorest, most marginalized and most conflicted parts of the world.

“The Aga Khan’s Diamond Jubilee visit to Ottawa, Vancouver and Calgary is a very significant event for all of us,” said Samir Manji, president of the Ismaili Council for BC.

“His Highness inspires us with pluralism, humanitarianism and philanthropy…it is all about making what we can, keeping what we need and giving away the rest to make a better world,” said Manji, a West Vancouver-based entrepreneur, who helped build over two dozen senior citizen communities across Canada.

Manji is especially proud of his community’s on-going pledge to donate one-million hours of service to improve the quality of life of all Canadians.

“It’s a demonstration of our commitment to Canada,” said Manji.

As of March, the Ismaili Muslim community volunteered a total of 1,127,549 hours of service across the country in just over six months as part of Canada’s 150th anniversary and the Aga Khan’s Diamond Jubilee year.

In addition, thousands of committed volunteers and supporters across the country help raise millions of dollars every year through its World Partnership Walk and World Partnership Golf campaigns to support Aga Khan Foundation of Canada’s development work.

In Vancouver recently the Ismaili Walk, raised close to $500,000 to benefit mental health initiatives for the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation and the Canadian Mental Health Association. “This contribution is significant, for it supports important mental health initiatives and encourages the wider and sometimes-difficult community conversation around mental health,” said Barbara Grantham, president and CEO of the VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation.

The Aga Khan and his brother Prince Amyn are also global patrons of the arts, said Salma Mawani, manager of the Museum of Anthropology (MOA) at the University of British Columbia.

Last Spring, Prince Amyn officially opened Traces of Words: Art and Calligraphy from Asia exhibition at MOA, which in part featured collections from the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto.

“The Aga Khan and Prince Amyn’s foundational work in the arts is evident in the sustained programs globally that continue to work toward building a society that embraces all people,” said Mawani.